Lantern-holder.



A. G. HEWITT.

LANTERN HOLDER. APPLIOATION FILED H0116, 190p.

971,378. Patented Sept. 27,1910.

ATTORNEYS pose of which is to hold a lantern.

ARTHUR CHESTER HEWITT, OF COI-IOES, NEW YORK.

LANTERN-HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved LaiiternHolder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a device the pur- It is particularly adapted for holding hand lanterns of the type used by trainmen.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of this kind having a special construction facilitating its attachment to a post or arm.

The invention comprises also a special bracket which facilitates the attachment of a lantern before a gage, such as a steam gage.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating how the device is used when supporting a lantern before a gage, such as a steam gage; Fig. 2 is a plan of the holder and illustrating the manner in which it engages the base of the lantern to support the same; Fig. 3 is a plan of the bracket shown in Fig. 1, which supports the lantern holder; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the holder and showing the upper portion of a post to which the holder is attached removably, the upper end of the post being shown in cross section; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the device more permanently attached to the post; and Fig. 6 is a perspective showing a modification of the holder adapting it to be attached at the rear end of a train.

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Fig. 2, the holder comprises a transverse bar 1 which is preferably formed by two .wires twisted together. At the ends of this bar the wires which form it are extended in opposite directions and I form integral loops 2. These loops com-' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1909.

Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

Serial No. 528,285.

are adapted to engage the edge 6 of the base 7 of a lantern 8, as will be readily understood. Near the middle point of the bar 1 the wires which form the bar form a tongue 9 extending at right angles to the bar.

As shown in Fig. 2, the dotted circle indicates the edge 6, and hence it will be seen that the bar 1 is disposed at a short distance from the central axis of the lantern. This tongue 9 projects toward the central axis of the lantern. It is formed by twisting the wires together, as shown, and near its middle point the wires are separated so as to form an eye 10. Beyond this eye the wires are bent downwardly and then upwardly, forming a Ushaped spring catch 11.

The holder is adapted to be applied to the base of the lantern by spreading the loops 2 apart, and this is most easily accomplished at the end remote from the bar 1.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate the manner in which the holder is adapted to be secured to a post 12, said post having an opening 13 at its upper end. This opening receives the spring catch 11 which is forced down into the opening, as shown. Instead of attaching the holder removably in this manner, I may attach it more permanently, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In this case the holder is attached to the upper end of a post 14 by means of a screw 15 which passes down through the eye 10, said screw bein threaded in the upper end of the post, as illustrated. In a similar manner the holder may evidently be attached to an arm extending horizontally and having an opening in its upper side. If the opening is sufficiently large it may receive the spring catch 11, if not it may be threaded to receive a screw similar to the screw 15 and attached at the eye.

Under certain circumstances it may be advisable to support the lantern before a gage, such as a steam gage. The means for accomplishing this is illustrated in Fig. 1, where 16 represents the tubular post of the gage support, to which the gage 17 is attached. These parts are represented in dotted outline. I provide a bracket 18 preferably formed of wire as shown. This bracket comprises a ring 19 which is separable at a certain point in its circumference. At this point the wire is provided with hooks 20 which are adapted to be hooked together when the device is applied to the gage. At suitable points the ring 19 is provided with inwardly projecting fingers 21 and these fingers are adapted to project inwardly over the forward rim of the gage, as shown. In this way the ring will retain itself on the gage when attached thereto. The wires which form the ring 19 are twisted together at the lower side of the gage so as to form a short neck 22, and from this neck the wires extend in a horizontal direction so as to form an arm 23. At the end of this arm the wires are spread apart so as to form an eye 24. From the other side of the neck 22, a pair of wires extend inwardly and form a yoke 25 which is adapted to engage the post 16 resiliently, as will be readily understood. The lantern holder is adapted to be attached to the arm 23 in the manner indicated in Fig. 1, that is, the eye 10 is placed over the eye 24 and the parts are secured together by means of a removable bolt 26. If it is not desired to fasten the parts firmly together in this manner the spring catch 11 may be forced down into the eye 24: in a manner similar to that indicated in Fig. 4. The holder will then be supported on the arm, as shown.

Fig. 6 shows a form of the invention which adapts it to hold a lantern on the rear end of a car. In this form of the device the holder presents a cross bar 27 of twisted wire, and the wires which form this bar have loops 28' at their ends which are adapted to engage the edges of the lantern base, as will be readily understood. At the middle point of the bar 27, an arm 29 extends laterally, and this arm is formed by twisting the wires together, as indicated. At its extremity the wires are separated and forced downwardly so as to form a skeleton tang or shoe 30. The shoe 30 is adapted to be slipped down into a socket of the common form usually attached at the ends of cars for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

A device of the character described, comprising a single piece of wire bent to form a pair of loops for engaging the base of a lantern, and also bent to form a member for supporting said loops, said member being provided with a portion to be secured to the rear end of a car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR CHESTER HEVITT.

WVitnesses:

Mrs. W'. P. HILDRETH, ELI J. BROUILLETTE. 

